As a director, Jamie Lloyd applies a minimalist method to theater. His revival of SUNSET BLVD. is the proper match for the typically difficult directive of Tiny Desk — to distill the essence of the music. All artifice is stripped all the way down to showcase the tragedy of the characters and the grandeur of Andrew Lloyd Webber‘s music and lyrics by Don Black and Christopher Hampton. On this story of tarnished Hollywood, Nicole Scherzinger and Tom Francis make their Tony Award-nominated Broadway debuts as Norma Desmond, light star of the silent display screen, and failing screenwriter Joe Gillis.
For this manufacturing, the present serves up a blinding pair of Tiny Desk variations in dialog with preparations acquainted to followers. The eight-member orchestra, led by music director Alan Williams, delivers lush instrumentals all through. Scherzinger and Francis’ duet of “The Excellent Yr” is reenvisioned as a comfortable rocker with R&B vibes. “Sundown Boulevard” rocks, which completely fits Francis’ voice; right here, he stands nonetheless, relatively than his ordinary stroll by means of New York Metropolis streets. In each preparations, Justin Rothberg’s electrical guitar shines. To bookend this efficiency, Scherzinger’s expansive voice instructions the stage in “With One Look” and in a blistering rendition of “As If We By no means Stated Goodbye.”
SET LIST
- “With One Look”
- “The Excellent Yr”
- “Sundown Boulevard”
- “As If We By no means Stated Goodbye”
MUSICIANS
- Nicole Scherzinger: vocals
- Tom Francis: vocals, guitar
- Alan Williams: keys, music director
- Justin Rothberg: guitar
- Pete Donovan: bass
- Joe Nero: drums
- Annaliesa Place: violin
- Philip Payton: violin
- Todd Low: viola
- Sarah Hewitt-Roth: cello
TINY DESK TEAM
- Producer: Mitra I. Arthur
- Director/Editor: Maia Stern
- Audio Technical Director: Josh Newell
- Host/Collection Producer: Bobby Carter
- Videographers: Maia Stern, Joshua Bryant, Kara Body
- Audio Engineer: Josephine Nyounai
- Manufacturing Assistants: Dora Levite, Ashley Pointer
- Photographer: Alanté Serene
- Tiny Desk Collection Editor: Lars Gotrich
- Government Producer: Suraya Mohamed
- Collection Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson
- VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins
